Hockey Player Beats 10% Odds, Cancer-Free 5 Years Later

David Lyon threw his hat against the wall when doctors told him he had Stage IV colorectal cancer. At 26, the Pennsylvania hockey player had just gone to the ER for stomach pain, expecting maybe a work injury from his sheet metal job.

Three days after his colonoscopy in July 2021, he learned the cancer had already spread to his liver. But Lyon made an unusual decision: he told his doctors and his mom not to tell him his odds of survival.

"I didn't want to know specifics. I didn't want to know timetables," Lyon said. "I was going to continue to live and just be me."

He started chemotherapy ten days later. For the next three years, Lyon endured aggressive treatment while refusing to let cancer sideline his life. He only missed one hockey game during the entire treatment.

Dr. Bassam Estefan at Cleveland Clinic tried everything to treat the cancer in Lyon's liver. Chemotherapy didn't work. Neither did radiotherapy injected directly into the organ. Finally, Estefan suggested something radical: a complete liver transplant, an option that's only become available for colorectal cancer patients in recent years.

In August 2024, Lyon got his new liver. Today, eighteen months later, he remains cancer-free.

Lyon recently learned what his mother had known all along. One doctor had given him a 10% chance of survival. Another said he had maybe 24 to 36 months to live.

"Realizing here I am five years later was a surreal feeling," Lyon said.

Why This Inspires

Lyon's story comes at a critical time. Colorectal cancer cases in people under 50 are rising 3% every year, and it's now the leading cancer death for that age group. Doctors aren't sure why, but they suspect diet, lifestyle, and obesity all play a role.

Dr. Megan Turley, a colon and rectal surgeon at Texas Oncology, says the biggest warning sign is blood in the stool. "Rectal bleeding is not normal. Is it always cancer? No. But is it normal? Also no."

Other red flags include lower abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, persistent diarrhea or constipation, and changes in stool color.

Lyon now streams online and donates the proceeds to charity several times a year. He openly shares his cancer journey, hoping to convince other young men to get checked.

"If telling my story makes guys in their 20s, 30s, a little more comfortable to just go and get it done, for the love of God, just talk to your doctor about it."